Schools, colleges and academies are required to maintain a single central record (SCR) of all their staff and their pre-employment checks. This record is scruitinised as part of an Ofsted inspection and therefore needs to be continually updated to demonstrate compliance with statutory requirements. The safe recruitment of adults working with children means that educational settings must remain up to date on changes to regulations as well as guidance on best practice.

The rules about who must be included on the SCR are complex because of the wide range of people who interact with schools, whether on a professional or voluntary basis. Our full SCR review service will ensure that your record meets Ofsted standards and the wider statutory requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

A further benefit of this service is the professional development that staff gain which often leads many settings to go on to carry out a more general review of their recruitment practices.

Schools will retain responsibility for the accuracy of the information in the SCR. We can work with your existing SCR or transfer the information to our own best practice template for you to use going forward.

This service can be carried out at your premises or remotely at our offices.

Schools hold a range of information on personnel files, either because they are legally required to do so or because it helps them to operate and monitor policies and procedures, compile and analyse data and respond to information requests.

Ofsted and LA auditors may seek to ensure personnel files reflect best practice, particularly in areas such as safeguarding, recruitment and selection, and processes for monitoring time-bonded storage.

This review can provide guidance on content and organisation, as well as link the personnel files to the single central record. In addition to legislative compliance, uncluttered files allow staff to work more efficiently.

This service is undertaken at your premises within your normal operating hours in collaboration with school administration staff.

A contract of employment sets out an agreement between the employer and employee and is the basis for the employment relationship. According to ACAS, simple misunderstandings over what is or is not in a contract are one of the main causes of employment tribunal claims. Accurate contractual documents are essential for successfully resolving employee relations disputes.

Education staff work to a complex range of different terms and conditions, covered by national and local arrangements, in a variety of settings (maintained, academy, independent, FE college) and different roles.

Some employees may also have accrued a period of service across different settings which will bring about certain contractual entitlements.

Circumstances can arise that cause contractual paperwork to become outdated or flawed, which may mean it no longer reflects the reality of the current employment relationship. For example, where a member of staff has worked in a number of different roles over time, but the contractual arrangements have not been updated with each change of employment.

In addition, some academies may have a two-tiered system, with members of staff working to different sets of terms and conditions, because of a change of status and the application of TUPE to certain employees. This system is entirely legitimate but it does require extra vigilance to ensure it is applied accurately to the appropriate staff.

Our employment contract review is undertaken by experienced HR Officers at your school/college in collaboration with your administration staff. This service is usually undertaken in conjunction with a personnel file review.